


Retrieval's Just Another Word for Stealing Shit

by Cinaed



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Crush at First Sight, F/F, First Meetings, Misunderstandings, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-30
Updated: 2017-03-30
Packaged: 2018-10-13 00:14:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10502421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cinaed/pseuds/Cinaed
Summary: Carey had quickly established herself as one of the best thieves in the business due to good instincts, top-notch rogue skills, and pure enthusiasm for challenges. Her instincts had told her not to take this particular job, but the pay was too good to turn down, even if it meant meddling in the affairs of wizards.Killian gets some bad intel. Carey does some cool rogue shit. Some wizard politics happen.





	

**Author's Note:**

> My take on how Killian and Carey met. It turned out longer than expected, but I had fun with it! Hope you enjoy. 
> 
> Major spoilers for The Crystal Kingdom arc, some vague spoilers up to Lunar Interlude IV: The Calm Before the Storm.

Carey had quickly established herself as one of the best in the business due to good instincts, top-notch rogue skills, and pure enthusiasm for challenges. Right now, though, her instincts were clamoring not to take this job. The only thing keeping her from giving a firm hell no was the _obscene_ amount of gold being offered.

She folded her arms against her chest and smiled at Oloril, chief wizard to the ruler of Neverwinter. She’d found that being a small dragonborn didn’t make her toothy grin any less alarming to most humans, and Oloril wasn’t an exception. His already pale face turned the same shade as his white hair.

“I’m going to need more than ‘really, really magical artifact’ if you want me to do this job,” she informed him. “Like, what exactly does this thing _do_? Unless you want me to fail like the last….” She paused, pretending to count on her claws as Oloril scowled. “The last five people you sent to steal it, I need more information.”

“If you take this job, you will refer to it as a retrieval,” Oloril said testily. “I am not hiring to you to _steal._ ”

Carey shrugged. Semantics weren’t really her thing, but she was pretty sure that retrieval was just fancy word for stealing. “Sure.”

Oloril held out his staff. For a second she thought he meant for her to touch it, but then he spoke. “Look at this staff. I can channel my power through it, even keep a few spells housed within it, but as an implement, it could be vastly improved. With the stone, I shall be able to draw on the unseen energy all around us. I can enhance my powers tenfold!” For a few seconds his gray eyes gleamed. Then he sneered. “Magella doesn’t even know what she has locked away in that display case, the foolish twit. She’s doing a disservice to Neverwinter in keeping it on display, unused.”

Judging by all the dead thieves, Carey suspected that Magella, another wizard of the Neverwinter court, knew exactly what was in her display case. She held her tongue. “But it won’t burn me or attack me when I try to pick it up?”

“None of my research shows that the stone has any sort of self-defense spells, though I cannot promise Magella hasn’t set up some magical trap,” Oloril said. He eyed her. “But your reputation says you can handle magical traps….”

A hint of skepticism crept into his voice, and at his doubtful look, Carey bristled. “I can. But it never hurts to find out as much as you can for a job. Do _you_ work magic when you’re not sure of a spell?”

Oloril grimaced but shrugged. “Fair enough. Does that mean you’ll take the job?”

Carey hesitated, then brushed her misgivings aside. She was running low on coin, and the money he was offering would keep her comfortable for months. If she could bring herself to work with a crew she’d manage larger jobs with bigger payouts, but she’d learned her lesson. It was better to go solo. Jeremy -- _Scales_ \-- had taught her that, heading out on his own adventure and leaving her behind. Besides, a challenge that five other professional thieves had failed sounded like fun.

“Yeah, though on a few conditions. I get half the money before I do the job, the rest when I bring the stone to you. I’ll borrow that magic-nullifying glove you mentioned earlier. If the glove is damaged, it’ll come out of my pay. If I get hurt, I expect part of my second payment to come in the form of a superior healing potion.”

“A healing potion?” Oloril said, puzzled. Then his craggy features actually lightened with a smile as Carey shrugged and said, “I’m sure as chief wizard you get discounts on any magical items you want! It’ll save me money in the long run.”

Amusement lingered in Oloril’s face. He turned to his desk and retrieved a purse from one of the drawers. Then he stretched out one arm encrusted with rings and bracelets towards her. “That’s satisfactory. It’s a deal, then?”

She shook his hand, trying not to be tempted by the beautiful ruby on his thumb. “It’s a deal,” she agreed. “I’ll st-- I’ll retrieve the stone for you within the week.”

 

* * *

 

Three days later, Carey balanced on her claws and studied the room.

It was about twelve feet by twenty, with one exit and no windows. To the untrained eye it looked empty except for a few magically spelled lamps on the walls, a half-dozen glass display cases, and the items held within them. Carey’s thorough investigation spotted at least six magical traps and four regular ones. It was definitely meant as a killbox for incompetent thieves. Thankfully, the only thing Carey was incompetent in was music, much to her family’s ever-lasting disappointment. She did another slow survey and discovered one more magical trap right in front of her-- the wood panel was slightly warped from whatever spell had been used on it.

She took a deep breath. Then she grinned and threw herself forward, bounding over the traps in the floor and ducking low when walking upright would have triggered a hail of arrows or something equally unpleasant from the walls. She landed lightly in front of the furthest glass case in the room and squinted at the magical artifact.

It was prettier than Oloril had led her to believe. He’d mentioned that it was a pale green stone, but he hadn’t mentioned the cracks in its surface that glinted silver. It would’ve made a beautiful centerpiece in a necklace or a diadem. With a regretful sigh, she disabled the two regular traps, and with the nullifying glove took out the curse placed on the glass. Then she pulled out her replacement stone and swapped them with the ease of long practice.  

Carey smiled in satisfaction. She’d just slid the stone and nullifying glove into her satchel when she heard a very distinctive noise behind her.

 _Click_.

“Whoops,” an unfamiliar voice said.

Carey spun just as an enormous orc carefully lifted her foot off the warped floorboard.

Instinct made Carey shout, “Get down!” She dove to the ground, noticing that the woman had frowned but obeyed just as holes opened up in the walls and torrents of fire filled the room with smoke and heat. They lasted for a full thirty seconds, the roaring flames so loud that Carey’s head hurt and her scales ached.

When they stopped, Carey scrambled upright. She didn’t have much time if her suspicions were correct about Magella’s traps. She bolted towards the door, turning a somersault into a dive as a series of delayed arrows fired ten seconds after the flaming torrents had ended.

“Crawl out, fast!” she said and vaulted over the still-prone orc woman and into the hallway. Once there she paused to catch her breath. She touched the satchel, reassuring herself that this woman hadn’t cost her the job. Then she turned, irritation replacing the adrenaline that had flooded her system at the loud click. “I don’t know if he sent you as back up or what, but--”

A large hand clamped around her throat and lifted her off her feet. The orc pinned her to the wall easily, like she weighed nothing, which was a little embarrassing if Carey was being honest with herself. She lashed out with her foot, but her claws glanced off the woman’s hip without provoking even a flinch.

The orc woman leaned in, frowning. Two huge teeth jutted out of her lower jaw, making her glare particularly impressive. Carey coughed and stared, trying to place her, but she knew most of the thieves and rogues in Neverwinter. An enormous orc woman with handsome features and dark hair wasn’t ringing any bells.

“Do you know what you have?” the stranger demanded.

The ensuing shake rattled every bone in Carey’s body, but that powerful grip loosened just enough that Carey could breathe again. “You know,” she said, wheezing, “most people I let get this close have usually introduced themselves.”

The frown deepened. Then the orc nodded. “Okay, that was pretty rude of me. I’m Killian. Now, do you know what you have?”

Killian. The name still wasn’t familiar, but it suited her somehow. Carey swallowed very carefully. “Well, Killian, I’m Carey. And what I know is that this magic rock is really, really magical, but I’m not a wizard. I was just hired by one.”

Killian growled. She tightened her grip on Carey’s throat, but even as Carey choked she thought that the gesture had been out of instinct rather than malice. That didn’t stop Carey from flicking her wrist. The concealed knife fell into her waiting hand.  

“Shit!” Killian staggered backwards, her arm already beginning to bleed.

Carey bolted. Several possibilities played out in her head, none of them good, as she ran for her prepared exit. She kept the knife in her claws. This woman could be one of Magella’s guards, which meant her window for escape had dwindled to almost nothing. Or Oloril wanted to save some coin and had sent an assassin to bring the stone back for a smaller payout. Whatever the case, Carey needed to get out.

A familiar sound met her ears. She dove, not quite fast enough. The bolt glanced off her shoulder, leaving burning pain and a shallow cut behind, and with enough power behind it that Carey stumbled against the wall. This time it wasn’t the woman’s hand that choked Carey, but panic. Assassins’ bolts tended to be poisoned. She spun and threw her knife.

The blade caught her attacker’s already injured arm. “Oh, come on!” Killian complained, lowering her crossbow long enough to wrench the knife from her shoulder and toss it aside. Then she looked around, her expression changing. “Guards are on their way.”

Carey ignored the blatant attempt at distraction and drew another knife. Still, something made her hesitate when Killian held up a hand. She took a deep breath, ready to throw the knife if Killian’s finger even twitched towards the crossbow’s trigger. At least her shoulder pain wasn’t increasing into disabling agony, so she probably wasn’t poisoned.

Killian looked at her. The crossbow, which was huge and whose bolts, now that Carey was studying them, looked like miniature spears, was prepped but aimed at the ground. Killian looked grim. “I’m serious. Do you know what you have in your satchel? How dangerous it is?”

Carey shrugged carefully. “Magic isn’t really my area. But the guy who hired me seemed to think it was powerful.”

“Wait.” Killian’s eyes narrowed. Carey braced herself to try and dodge another bolt, but all Killian said was, “You’re going to turn it over to someone else? The... _CRACKLE_...isn’t telling you to keep it and use it?” There was a strange crackling sound at the start of the sentence, and for a second Carey’s eyes blurred, her usual method of lip-reading failing her.

“Uh. The what?” Carey blinked and resisted the urge to rub at her eyes and ears. The two possibilities she’d considered before seemed less and less likely, but she had no idea what Killian’s angle could be. She said slowly, “My job is to steal shit, not use magical items. And the guy who hired me didn’t say anything about talking rocks.” Now she could hear the sounds of running footsteps. “So I’m just handing it over to him for the rest of my money, unless you want to stand around and get arrested instead.”

“Heh, nope,” Killian said. Strangely enough, she’d relaxed at Carey’s answers. Her broad shoulders lowered, and she even chuckled. “Since you stabbed me twice, call it even?”

Carey eyed her. “Okay, but I’m not splitting my money. You tripped an alarm and almost got us both killed, remember?” She raced towards her exit, the satchel bumping lightly against her hip.  

“Yeah, uh, that was my bad. I don’t do rogue shit.”

“Well, I do, so follow me!” Carey said. She threw a smoke bomb over her shoulder and jumped out the window just as people began to shout. She ducked into the nearest alleyway, Killian’s heavy footsteps behind her, and then kept running, darting down sidewalks and through various alleys.

Her shoulder still hurt, though, and it’d been awhile since she’d been actively pursued. Usually she was in and out of houses like a ghost. And Killian was right on her heels, a mystery in the form of an enormous orc. Perhaps the distractions were why Carey turned one corner and stumbled to a stop, staring at the ten-foot wall that shouldn’t have been blocking the alley’s exit. Had she made a wrong turn? She could’ve sworn her maps were up to date.

“Crap,” she said with feeling, and then turned as Killian rounded the corner. Carey pulled a rope from her satchel, her fingers brushing against the nullifying glove and stone as she did. “Let me get up there and I’ll haul you over.”

Killian looked skeptical. “Uh, you need any help--”

Carey turned and ran at the alley’s wall, jumping and propelling herself up to and then off the nearest roof. She caught hold of the wall blocking the exit and swung herself easily into a sitting position. Secure, she grinned smugly down Killian, whose eyes were wide. She kicked her heels lightly against the wall. “Don’t worry about rogue shit when it comes to me.” She tossed one end of the rope down to Killian. “I’ll jump down on the other side and we’ll get you over together, okay?”

Killian hesitated, and then shrugged and took the rope. “Okay.”

A few seconds later, with help from Carey as a weight on the other side of the wall, Killian landed heavily in the dirt beside her. She was grinning, a bit of red in her green cheeks. Her teeth shone white in the dim moonlight. “Now what?”

It was only then that it occurred to Carey that she could’ve left Killian behind. It would have been easy enough to let the rope go and leave Killian on the other side of the wall. It would’ve been the smart thing to do. Her throat and her shoulder still hurt from Killian’s earlier abuse, and she still didn’t know what Killian was after.

But Killian was grinning at her, and Carey couldn’t help but grin back. Plus her instincts told her that Killian wasn’t an enemy--for the moment at least. She shrugged carefully, trying not to jostle her injured shoulder. “Now we get a little more space between us and Magella’s place and you can explain what you thought I was stealing that was so dangerous.”

Killian looked amused. “Heh, that might be a little complicated, but sure.” She winced a little as she spoke, and Carey realized that her arm was still bleeding heavily. How had she even managed to haul herself over the wall?

“Okay, first we stop you from bleeding to death,” Carey amended. She hesitated. Then she pulled a minor healing potion out of her bag. “Here.”

Killian took it but didn’t immediately drink it. Her grin had faded to a complicated look. “You’re pretty trusting for a thief.”

Carey shrugged. She shifted from one foot to the other, restless suddenly though the sounds of pursuit were fading in the distance. “I go with my instincts. Whatever you thought I had, you said it was dangerous, right? So you were trying to keep it out of the wrong hands? Sounds like you’re doing good work to me, even if someone gave you some bad intel.”

“Trying to do good work,” Killian said. She looked tired, suddenly, and kept looking tired even after she swallowed the potion and the cuts knitted over into pale scars. “Yeah, we’re trying. Not sure how much good we’re doing so far.” It was her turn to hesitate. She looked at Carey, so intently that warmth crept into Carey’s face. “Hey, have you ever heard of--”

That same weird static from earlier filled Carey’s ears. This time she flicked out her tongue, but if the crackling sound was magic, Carey couldn’t taste it. “Sorry, heard of what?”

“Okay,” Killian said. The complicated look stayed on her face. “I figured.”

Carey eyed her. “You’re a little weird. You know that, right?”  

Killian chuckled.

 

* * *

 

Oloril practically levitated out of his chair when Carey came through his window. Carey would’ve thought that he’d used an actual levitation spell, except his hands gripped both armrests. He started to smile and then grabbed his staff as Killian climbed in after her. He eyed them both warily. “Who is she? You didn’t tell me you had a partner.”

“I don’t,” Carey said. She tried not to think about Jeremy, grinning at her and promising they’d be the best rogue-bard partners the world had seen. “Don’t worry about it.” He looked unconvinced, so she fished the nullifying glove and the stone out of her satchel. His eyes lit and he was already reaching out before she tossed him the stone. “Here you go.”

“Yes!” Oloril said. He clenched his hand tightly around the stone. A smile spread across his weathered face. “Finally it’s mine….” The stone began to glow as he murmured a low, crooning chant.

Carey waited. When the chanting kept going, she coughed pointedly. “I still need the rest of my payment.”

“A moment, a moment,” Oloril hissed. His face looked strange in the silver and green glow. The veins in his face seemed to almost change color, his watery eyes shining. He laughed. If Carey was honest with herself, it was one of the most unpleasant laughs she’d heard in her life. Her claws itched for one of her knives. “Gods, you have no idea how long I’ve waited for this!”

“Okay, are we _sure_ that thing isn’t evil?” Killian whispered to Carey.

Carey glanced between her and Oloril as the wizard let out another laugh. “Uh. Well….”

“No, it isn’t,” someone said.

Both Killian and Carey spun to see a half-elf woman in wizard’s robes smiling at them. She was one of the most beautiful women Carey had even seen, with golden skin and a delicately boned face. She held a wand at her side. “But far beyond Oloril’s understanding or ability to control.”

“Magella!” Oloril turned the woman’s name into a curse. He glared at Carey. “I should’ve known better than to trust a thief! How much did she pay you to betray me?”

“Excuse me?” Carey said, offended, overlapping with Magella’s, “Don’t blame her, Oloril. The stone’s magical signature was simple enough to trace once it was no longer touching the glove.”

Oloril snarled. “Well, you’re too late! Now the stone is mine.”

“Oloril,” Magella said. She sighed and murmured something under her breath. It sounded like, “Old men and their pride.”  

Oloril held his staff up and slammed the stone on top of it, shouting out one final word. The ensuing burst of blinding light made Carey close her eyes. When she opened them, she found that the stone was fused with the staff’s metal ferrule. It now shimmered with a silver light.

Oloril laughed. “I can feel it. You were a fool not to use this, Magella. You’ll never replace me as chief wizard now!” His shining eyes swept over the women. “First, let’s deal with the traitor.”

He pointed the staff at Carey, ignoring Magella’s sharp, “Oloril!”

Carey dropped to the floor as lightning erupted from the staff. The lightning bolt struck the window behind her, shattering it. Her tongue flicked out instinctively and tasted ozone and the promise of more lightning. She reached for a knife, and then yelped in surprise as a hand grabbed the back of her tunic and dragged her upright and backwards.

It was Killian, who now stepped between her and Oloril, giant crossbow already swinging up to point at Oloril’s chest. “Do that again. I dare you,” Killian growled.

“I can handle this,” Carey said, a little annoyed.

Oloril shrugged. “Fine, you’ll die first.” The staff crackled with power.

This time Magella stepped forward and raised her wand, murmuring a spell that formed a glowing barrier around Killian. She still looked calm, considering the circumstances. “Oloril, you cannot control that stone. Give it up.”

Oloril laughed. “Just because you failed to control its power, doesn’t mean I will!” He pointed the staff towards them and shouted another word as Killian squeezed the trigger of her crossbow.

This time the staff exploded.

Carey instinctively ducked although the wooden shards didn’t penetrate Magella’s barrier.

Oloril didn’t fare as well. He stumbled sideways, dropping the smoldering remains of the staff. His arm flailed, as though he meant to grasp the large bolt buried in his chest, or maybe feel at the ruin that was his face. A choked gurgling noise escaped him and then he crumpled to the floor.

Everyone stared at the wizard’s corpse.

Then Magella sighed and said, “Well, this will be a very unpleasant conversation with Lord Sterling.” She smiled faintly at Killian and Carey. “I don’t suppose you two would like to stick around and help me explain?”

“No,” Carey said. She glared at Oloril's body. “Crap. I should’ve listened to my instincts and not taken this job. And he still owes me half my gold!”

“Oh, that’s simple enough to fix,” Magella said, and plucked one of the purses off her belt. She tossed it towards Carey, who opened it and stared at the coins. “I believe that should be the amount you agreed upon. Unless you were injured and need that healing potion?”

“No, just a scratch, I don’t--” Carey said. She stopped. “How the hell did you know that?”

Magella sighed. “I knew it was Oloril after the first thief and scryed him daily. He always did insist on underestimating me.” She stepped towards the corpse and plucked the stone from the remains of the staff, making a moue of distaste at the blood. “Now this stone will go back where it belongs. If you wish to leave, I suggest you do so immediately. Oloril’s guards should be here any moment.”

“Right, thanks,” Killian said.

Carey hesitated. She eyed Magella. She’d learned more than she’d ever wanted about wizard politics over the last few years in Neverwinter. Oloril and Magella's rivalry had been infamous. “Did you know using the stone would kill him?”

If Magella knew what she was implying, she didn’t show it, shaking her head. “I had my suspicions, but I didn’t know for certain. I knew that it was too powerful an artifact to be harnessed upon a wizard’s staff.” A wry smile briefly warmed her features. “I would have long since used it myself, otherwise.”

“Right,” Carey said. She supposed it wasn’t her business if the Neverwinter wizards played deadly politics. The young lord Sterling could worry about that. She tied the purse to her belt. “Well, enjoy your new position.”

“Oh, I might not be chosen as his replacement,” Magella said, but she looked pleased. “It was nice to meet you both.” She paused. “Miss Fangbattle, if you ever wish to leave your profession and assist me with designing anti-theft measures….? You were quite impressive at my home tonight.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Carey said. She made certain her tone was polite because it never paid to anger wizards. Nevertheless Magella seemed to hear the denial because she smiled and nodded her acceptance. Then Carey turned towards the window, grimacing at the half-shattered glass.

Before she could do anything, Killian stepped forward and kicked out the entire frame with one powerful kick.

“...Well, that’s one way to handle that,” Carey muttered at the sound of a dull thud and more shattering glass. She was irritated again, remembering how Killian had guarded her like she needed protection. She leaped through the window, clearing the broken frame and landing lightly on the grass.

A second later Killian fell into step beside her as they walked towards the street. She was smiling again, the moonlight gleaming on her teeth. The smile made Carey felt the same restlessness from before. She eyed the nearest alleyway, half-planning her exit, and then stared as Killian asked cheerfully, “So, what’s the plan?”

Confusion replaced some of Carey’s irritation. “The plan? Keep on stealing stuff, I guess.”

“That’s what you want to do with your life?”

Carey bristled for a second before she realized Killian’s tone had been curious rather than dismissive. She shrugged. It hadn’t been what she’d wanted to do with her life, but Jeremy had ruined her original plans. She drew one of her knives, flipping it into the air and catching it. “Well, stick to what you’re good at, right? I am pretty great at rogue shit.”

“Yeah, you are,” Killian said, grinning again. Then her expression shifted to the complicated look she’d worn talking about her job. Her footsteps slowed and Carey slowed as well, watching her. “Ever think of using those rogue skills to help the world?”

Carey frowned. “What, like that Rob Cowl guy over in New Elfington? Stealing from the rich, giving to the poor? I give money to charity, but he’s got a whole crew.” She paused and sighed wistfully. “Plus with how long elves live, they probably have some _amazing_ treasure collections. Be easy to steal a fortune and spread some of that coin around.”

“No, I meant….” Killian scratched the back of her neck. Her grin had gone a little crooked, and Carey realized that she was nervous. “I can’t tell you much about my job, but, uh, we….” She paused, as though weighing her words. “Tonight I was at that wizard’s house because I thought that stone was super bad, like end of the world bad. It wasn’t but uh, that’s what we do. We try to find-- to find, uh, powerful things and destroy them, and kill bad guys who want to use the powerful things to rule the world. Having a rogue on the team would be pretty awesome.”

“I don’t--” Carey stopped as Killian’s grin dimmed in disappointment. She tossed her knife between her hands, fast enough that the silver blade blurred. It was easier to talk when she wasn’t looking at Killian. “I don’t really think beyond the next job. Plans never work out, you know? My parents wanted me to be a bard and my brother to be a warrior. Jeremy and I were going on adventures together. We all ended up disappointed.”

“Well, I can’t promise no disappointments,” Killian said with another rub of her neck. “Tonight would’ve been worthless if you hadn’t been here.” A second later, her green skin darkened and she added quickly, “I mean, uh, with me for the muscle and you for the stealth shit, I think it, uh…. We could kick some ass. As a team.” She seemed to run out of words, grimacing and still flushed with embarrassment.

Carey almost dropped her knife. She warmed all over, her scales prickling with heat. That same restless feeling fluttered low in her belly, but this time she thought she understood. Her parents had dismissed her. Jeremy had abandoned her. So she’d become a rogue, someone who couldn’t get left behind because she was the one doing the leaving. Even now her instincts told her to go, maybe try her luck in New Elfington. Rob Cowl was a major distraction for law enforcement there; she could probably do a few small jobs unnoticed.

But the hopeful look in Killian’s eyes was like a trap Carey hadn’t seen coming, and, if Carey was being honest with herself, one she didn’t regret springing. She took a deep breath, then another, until the restless feeling passed. Then she stepped closer and tapped Killian’s arm with the blade's pommel. “I’m in. But if we’re a team now, we need to get a few things straight. I don’t need you taking all the hits for me, okay? I could’ve handled Oloril myself.”

Killian’s smile spread across her face until she was grinning. “Right. Okay. So next time, let you stab the wizard?”

“Next time, let me stab the wizard,” Carey confirmed. She ran a claw lightly across the cut on her shoulder, which had already started to scab over, and added, “Though your crossbow is pretty great. You probably could’ve skewered me like a kebab if I hadn’t dodged.”

“Good thing I missed.” Before Carey could react to this unexpectedly earnest remark, Killian touched a large rune on her bracer, which flashed yellow for a few seconds. “Just gotta get the okay and then we can-” The rune glowed blue. “Yep, there we go. Let’s head over to the Neverwinter Gardens.”

Carey sheathed her knife. Her face still felt warm. She cleared her throat and said teasingly, “Neverwinter Gardens? You really know how to show a girl a good time.”

Killian chuckled. “I don’t know about that. The gardens aren’t any fun without the ducks.”

Carey must have misheard. “The, uh, ducks?”

Killian nodded. “Well, it’s night, right?” she said. “The ducks are all asleep so we can’t see them. And they’re the best part of the gardens!” She paused and then added a little sheepishly, “They’re my favorite animal. Uh, I know it’s a little weird….”

Carey laughed and stopped before the iron gates of the Neverwinter Gardens. They were locked, but that was easy enough to fix. “It is, but I like it.” She pushed the gates open and then nudged Killian with her shoulder, which mostly involved bumping Killian’s hip. “So, are we meeting most of your people here or--”

The trees around them rustled wildly, and the moons went temporarily dark as something passed over the park. Carey stared at the machine that landed in front of them. “Uh. Uh, wow.”

“Yeah,” Killian said, and Carey didn’t have to look at her to know she was grinning again. “This is going to be great. Uh, although… Did you need to go back to your place and grab your things?”

Carey kept staring. The machine was a glass sphere and as large as a carriage. When she stepped closer, peering inside, she saw four seats. After another befuddled second, she realized that Killian was waiting for an answer. “Oh, uh, no. Rogues don’t last long if they have too much baggage.”

An aperture opened. Killian climbed in, her crossbow scraping the edge. “Come on in,” she called over her shoulder as she strapped herself into one of the chairs. “It’s roomier than it looks. And there’s a med kit if you want to put something on your cut.”

Carey climbed after her. The aperture disappeared as though it had never been there as soon as she was fully inside. She glanced around, still amazed. “So, uh, I guess the people you work with don’t live in Neverwinter?”

Killian laughed again. “No. Nope. Definitely not!”  

Carey sat down in one of the seats. Thankfully the straps were adjustable. She knew she was gawking, but judging by Killian’s grin, gawking was a perfectly reasonable and expected reaction. “So, any chance you can tell me where they do live without that weird static interfering?”

“Nope, sorry,” Killian said, not sounding sorry at all. “You’ll see though!” She tapped her bracer again. “Hold on.”

Carey clutched at her straps, watching wide-eyed as controls appeared and Killian began to fly the machine. They passed over the treetops, then over the buildings of Neverwhere, higher and higher until clouds obscured the city and the countryside.

Killian was watching her, she realized. She laughed, a little breathless. “Okay, this is definitely better than the Gardens.”

Carey hadn’t thought about her future since Jeremy had told her to wish him luck and walked off into his own adventure. What little she had considered for her future was measured in brief spans of time: a few days, sometimes even a week. But now the future spread out before her as bright and enormous as the moon that rose before them. She wanted to savor every second of it. She reached for Killian’s arm and savored that too, the warm smooth skin beneath her claws and the way Killian grinned at her, sharing in her delight.

“Thanks,” Carey said. It wasn’t enough, but Killian seemed to understand, because her grin widened.

“Oh, you ain’t seen nothing yet.”

**Author's Note:**

> The title is a play on the line "Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose" from Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster's "Me and Bobby McGee." 
> 
> I'm really enjoying The Adventure Zone fandom, so feel free to leave fic prompts here or at my [tumblr](http://cinaed.tumblr.com/).


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